Perry Rhodan is a guest aboard the ship CHANDORY, which is about to attempt the first use of the weapon from the Desperate Resistance organization against the World Scourge. The weapon is called the Blinder and masks the mental impulses of living things being used as victims of the World Scourge, so that it cannot absorb their life energy. For this reason, the Blinder must be active as long as the World Scourge can try to do its work: thirty-seven hours. After this period, QIN SHI must cut of its connection to the World Scourge.

But as the CHANDORY arrives near the home system of the insectoid Cruny, which has repeatedly been afflicted over thousands of years by the World Scourge, it immediately comes under attack. Protector Kaowen has sealed off the system with a powerful fleet. The CHANDORY must pull back. Meanwhile, Kaowen sends a preparatory troop of the Dosanthis to the Cruny homeworld. The Dosanthis employ their para-abilities to put the Cruny into a state of panic. In this way any resistance can be nipped in the bud, plus it is made easier for the World Scourge to absorb the mental energy of the Crunys.

The Suit of the Universes speaks to Rhodan and tells him that it has stored the data on improvements to tracking protection that Ennerhahl had supplied for MIKRU JON. With this information, the Blinder buoys that must be positioned around the planet can be upgraded within a few hours. Not enough time exists for an upgrade of the CHANDORY itself. As the World Scourge starts its activity, the camouflage secured buoys hide the ground and the Crunys from it. But under the influence of the Dosanthis the Insectoids have still begun to kill each other en masse. In the end Kaowen stops the use of the Dosanthis because it is a waste of precious energy while the World Scourge cannot collect it.

Individual Blinder buoys are discovered in spite of the new detection protection and are shot down. The rest of them gradually fail by themselves due to some kind of instability. Five hours before the deadline the World Scourge can finally do its job. Millions of Crunys die, their life energy consumed. However, the World Scourge has collected far less energy than had been expected, so QIN SHI remains hungry. When QIN SHI breaks off contact with the World Scourge, it flies on towards the Pytico system. Kaowen’s fleet and the CHANDORY follow it...